A Liberal candidate in the provincial election says she was shocked to find a number of inscriptions about the election, disfigured with hated language in Scarborough on Sunday.
Signs belonging to Scarborough-Guildwood Liberal candidate Mitzi Hunter were found in the Elsmeer and Markham roads.
Hunter told CBC News that her campaign team had been notified of the signs Sunday by a resident of the area. She said 16 signs had been depersonalized with hate speech.
“We strongly condemn it [this] action. “It’s not about that in Scarborough,” Hunter said. “I’ve been an MPP for nine years and it’s never happened before … it’s disgusting to be honest.”
Hunter said he was on his way to a long-term care home when he stopped to look at the signs.
“What was put on the signs … a Nazi, a fascist and even one who said black, was incredibly disappointing for me personally to see that after I grew up in this community, [having] I always felt like I belonged here. “
The depersonalized plaques were removed shortly after Hunter’s campaign office and police were notified of the vandalism. (CBC)
Alan Lacos was driving in the area with his brother when he noticed the signs.
Lacos said he was surprised to see the signs depersonalized with hate graffiti, and called Hunter’s office to inform them.
“It was a little disturbing to see the first thing in the morning … in all my years in Toronto, I’ve never seen it before.”
Lacos said there were approximately 25 campaign inscriptions in the area belonging to Liberal, PK and NDP candidates, but only the Liberal candidate’s inscriptions were depersonalized.
He says the signs were removed a few hours later.
Hunter says police are taking the incident “very seriously” and that it will not affect her re-election campaign.
“We want to be a positive campaign and that will not distract us from the game at all,” Hunter said.
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